What do the history of women in America and Jell-O have in common? More than you probably realize! In this episode, Jen explores the incredible road to the Jell-O salad and how this bizarre status symbol eventually fell out of favor. Come for the Perfection Salad, stay for the Jellied Veal Loaf!
It all started when Jen bought Diane’s daughter an adorable unicorn and rainbow themed play tea set for her 2nd birthday. It got Diane thinking about how much she loved her own toy tea set growing up. Why was pretend tea time such a staple of growing up as a child in America? How long have miniature tea sets been marketed toward little girls, and why have they never gone out of fashion? Tune in to today’s episode to find out more about the history of the children’s toy tea set!
Snow White. Hansel and Gretel. The Frog Prince. Stories that are well known and beloved the world over. We can thank the very famous and very prolific Brothers Grimm for collecting and sharing these tales with the world. In this episode, Jen shares what she has learned about these brothers and why you should read these stories ahead of time before story time with your littles.
In this episode, we are joined by friend of the show Rachel Kuberry, who tells us all about the history of the baby cage and the historical importance of airing out babies. Why did these devices ever seem like a good idea and why did they fall out of fashion? And what are we still doing today that is essentially the modern equivalent?
Birth control is ubiquitous in society today. It is so commonplace that we just refer to it as "the pill." But have you ever wondered how that pill came to be? Like many medical advances, its history is much darker than you may imagine. The history of modern day birth control centers around the horribly unethical mistreatment of Latine people with a uterus in Puerto Rico. They don't teach you this stuff in high school history.
Throughout visual media, there are countless examples of the big window looking over a room of newborn, swaddles babies. The hospital nursery is a sight that most people are familiar with, but has really only been around since the early 20th century. Jen presents her findings into why they were created, some fascinating inventions to make them better serve the hospital community, and why they have become less popular in recent years.
If you are a 21st century mom you are probably familiar with the term baby wearing. It is very “in” right now, with wraps and carriers seen as not only functional, but also a fashion statement. Like many aspects of Western parenting, this practice is borrowed from other cultures with centuries-old traditions of baby carrying. Tune in to find out the interesting origins of your Baby Bjorn or Moby carrier.
Few things are as quintessentially American as child beauty pageants. And it turns out, they also originated from our home state of New Jersey! In this episode, Jen takes us back to the mid 1800's to the beginning of the child beauty pageant craze. It goes through many evolutions until we get to the modern version and every step along the way is absolutely fascinating.
Note: Today's episode contains some sensitive content related to infant deaths. Please use caution when listening. If you had asked me 2 years ago what an infant inclined sleeper is, I would have told you I had no idea. If you had asked me if I knew what a Rock n Play was, I would have said of course! It was the #1 must-have recommendation for my registry from all my mom friends. I was told it would be a life saver. A little over 2 weeks before my daughter was born, the Fisher Price Rock n Play ...
Spit has seemingly endless examples of cultural significance throughout the world. It's with that in mind, that Jen travelled down the spit in parenting rabbit hole. At times shocking and gross (especially in our Pandemic World), these traditions also have a primal, earthy beauty to them. Jen makes the case for the poetry and intimacy of spit.
Growing up is hard enough when you're just a regular kid. But can you imagine growing up at the most famous address in the country, while the whole world watches? On today's episode, Diane tells us about all the Presidential kids who grew up in the White House throughout history. Then we take a closer look at 3 Presidents' children and their time in the White House: the Bush twins (Barbara & Jenna), Obama's daughters (Sasha & Malia), and Chelsea Clinton. Get ready for some tales of funny...
In order to celebrate the end of this truly miserable year, we are sharing a story that is similarly upsetting. Jen presents her findings on the Dionne Quintuplets and the absolutely unbelievable series of events that befell them. From a wicker basket in a farm house in Ontario, to a clinical facility with a tourist viewing platform, all the way to Hollywood, these girls never caught a break. We're sharing their story here because there is a lot to be learned from their lives especially in our m...
Nothing gets us in the holiday spirit like an angry mob of customers fighting over a children's toy. With the advent of online shopping, crazy store riots may seem like things of the past. So let's take a trip down memory lane to the late 80s and mid-90s, when such events did occur around the holiday season. Specifically when it came to loving parents wanting to get their children the hot new toy of the season. Enter the Cabbage Patch Kids and the Tickle Me Elmo dolls. In this week's episode, Di...
If you live in America, you may be under the assumption that Halloween has always cornered the market on dressing up in costumes. But you would be wrong! From the late 1800s to the 1930s, Thanksgiving Masking was a standard way for children to celebrate on Thanksgiving morning. In this episode, Jen describes this strange custom and why it went out of favor. Get ready to shake your head with disapproval and be a bit offended.
You may be wondering why we are talking about a Supreme Court case on a show about the history of parenting, right? Well, we have the answer! The landmark Supreme Court decision in Connecticut vs. Griswold changed family life in America forever. We've all heard the term "family planning," but believe it or not before the 1960s this idea was not nearly as widely known or accepted. So what happened in 1965 that spurred on this radical shift in thinking about the way we plan births and children? Yo...
Every new mom can attest to the fact that babies, especially newborns, love to suck. Their fingers, their toes, a bottle, a breast, and for some babies even a pacifier. So today, we explore the history of that infamous object. Who invented the pacifier, when did it become popular, and why is it such a controversial soothing technique even to this day? This was a topic that led us down quite the rabbit hole. A very...ahem...”interesting” rabbit hole, to say the least! *Parents, we suggest listeni...
Every new mom can attest to the fact that babies, especially newborns, love to suck. Their fingers, their toes, a bottle, a breast, and for some babies even a pacifier. So today, we explore the history of that infamous object. Who invented the pacifier, when did it become popular, and why is it such a controversial soothing technique even to this day? This was a topic that led us down quite the rabbit hole. A very...ahem...”interesting” rabbit hole, to say the least! *Parents, we suggest listeni...
2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages, including their children! Tune in to learn all about the children who traveled anywhere from 5 to over 700 miles across America through the USPS.
2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages, including their children! Tune in to learn all about the children who traveled anywhere from 5 to over 700 miles across America through the USPS.
2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages, including their children! Tune in to learn all about the children who traveled anywhere from 5 to over 700 miles across America through the USPS.
We've all heard the term "mom shaming," but what does it really mean? And when did it begin? In reality, we are all probably guilty of playing a part in the mom shame game, often unintentionally. Let's dive into the origins of this troubling trend, and how things like the Internet and parenting forums play an important role in perpetuating mom shaming.
While the pandemic is keeping many of us from our usual summer plans, we thought we'd share some of the fascinating history of family vacations with you all. We'll look at summer camps for children, family road trips, and the American family camp. Tons of wacky history to keep you feeling nostalgic while we get through this isolating time together.
“I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys 'R' Us kid!” We all remember the jingle, and the excitement of stepping into a Toys 'R' Us in its heyday. With its rows and rows of toys, the possibilities were endless! And then we all watched as the behemoth of the toy industry crumbled, destroyed by the industry it created. How did Toys 'R' Us become such a giant, and what went wrong? Find out in today’s episode!
Come join us for a side-splitting episode that looks at the life and times of Mrs. Patricia Carter, the original Free Birthing guru! Pat is a riot and we definitely wish she was still around for us to go out for drinks with. Although neither of us would hire her to be a doula or midwife for any future deliveries.
This week, we have our very first guest host, Whitney from the How She Moms podcast! Whitney joins us to share her fascinating research into the history of baby names in America. She described some of the naming trends over time and some of the most bizarre names given to children here in the US.
Ok everybody - buckle up. On this week’s episode we explore something a little sinister: babies being stolen from their mothers and sold on the black market by a woman you’ve probably never heard of. Until now. Cue today’s topic, the woman of the hour: Georgia Tann. Who is this woman, and how did she get away with this horrible scheme for so long? You’ll have to tune in to find out.
John B. Watson and his infamous Little Albert Experiment may be little more than a footnote in the history of parenting and childrearing. But they are a fascinating and important one. Jen presents her research into the psychologist she most loves to hate and the occasional silver linings of his very disturbing legacy.
Have you ever tried to find the perfect book to help you cope with the shear terror that is parenthood. Yeah, we've been there, too! In this episode, Diane takes us through the many different eras and styles of parenting advice books. We're pretty sure there isn't a perfect book out there with advice to suit any child, but we can say with some certainty that we found a few candidates for the worst parenting advice books!
It's our first ever live episode! Listen in as Jen and Diane host this special bonus episode on Instagram Live. The ladies go over some of the most famous and beloved fairytales from their childhood, specifically the ones that feature cannibalism. Yum!
Ah, the sweet memories of running home after school to catch your favorite cartoon on what may be the most iconic children’s television network of all time: Nickelodeon. In today’s episode, Jen & Diane dig into the history of non-educational children’s entertainment to find out where it all started. Come relive your childhood (or your children’s childhoods) on an exciting adventure exploring all things Nickelodeon, from Rugrats to All That to Doug!
